Thirty-one gifts for beekeepers

It’s time for my annual list of holiday gifts for beekeepers. They range from very inexpensive stocking-stuffers to more expensive “serious” gifts.

Honey-Maker by Rosanna Mattingly: In my opinion, this is a treasure of a bee book and a perfect gift. You can find it at Bear Grass Press.

Vivaldi board: An inner cover, ventilated cover, and feeder rim all rolled into one. They can be used year round and can easily hold a Swienty feeder. My favorite, made by Greg at GSLongWoodworking in Oregon, has two ventilation ports in the bottom so ventilation can occur even when a feeder is in place. Check out his site for other cool bee stuff too.

Ventilated gabled roof: allows good weather protection and excellent ventilation. My favorite, made by Bill Castro of Bee Friendly Apiary in Maryland, is designed much like the attic space in a house and is beautiful besides.

Paint strainers, one- or five-gallon size depending on the number of hives: these can be used for filtering honey or beeswax (or paint).

Everclear: In the past I listed isopropyl alcohol, but I’ve changed to Everclear because it is non-toxic. You can use it for removing propolis from everything that’s not propolis. You can use it for making swarm lures from dead queens. And if you have some leftover, you can always drink it . . . in moderation, of course. You can find Everclear at your local liquor store in 151 or 190 proof, depending on your state laws.

Sugar, white granulated in 10-, 25-, or 50-pound bag: for making candy boards, syrup, or candy cakes. Also useful for pie.

Seeds, flowers or herbs: provide bee forage—choose flowers that are attractive to bees such as five-spot, bird’s eyes, baby blue eyes, or borage. A good source for heirloom seeds is the Hudson Valley Seed Library.

Fishing line, 50# test for wiring frames: it is still springy like wire, but it doesn’t kink or break. Forget melting it into wax, however—it doesn’t conduct electricity.

Ratcheting tie down: for tying hives together, to each other, or to something else; they are good for hurricanes and earthquakes as well.

Wood filler: to replace those chunks missing from your masterpiece.

Butterfly net: a long handle is good for removing bees from inside your skylights or snaring flyaway queens. Also useful for annihilating yellowjackets. A variety of good nets can be found at the Educational Science Online Store.

Double boiler: for melting wax; try to find one at Goodwill because it won’t be good for anything else after the first melt.

Crock pot: an alternative to the double boiler for melting wax and a bit safer. If they already have a crockpot for cooking, don’t worry. The one for melting wax cannot easily be used for anything else.

Uncapping knife: one of those things beekeepers skimp on, but they are really nice to have for extracting honey.

Bee brush: because a paint brush just doesn’t work.

Propane torch: the no-nonsense method of lighting a smoker.

Air compressor: a small, three-gallon, 100 psi air compressor is about $50 and can save hours of time.

Brad gun: although I use screws on my bee boxes, I use brads on the frames. A pneumatic brad gun is about $20.

Air hose: to connect compressor to brad gun, somewhat necessary to make the system work. About $10.

Brads: several sizes, such as one-inch, three-quarters-inch, and half-inch. If you are on a tight budget, just gift the brads. This will force the beekeeper to buy the rest.

Thumbs up for the Bug Baffler! Anyone who tried to work with bees in Florida in the middle of the summer would understand what I’m talking about! Even a regular long sleeve shirt and jeans make you cook from inside out. I was actually planning on making something like that myself but now I don’t have to. I wonder if it would have a good seal with a veil though.

Garden Plants for Honey Bees

This is a great new book for those wanting to plant flowers for their honey bees. Each plant, illustrated with full-color photographs, is rated for its ability to produce both nectar and pollen, and the plants are arranged by the month they bloom. A one-of-a-kind reference for beekeepers and gardeners. 750 photos, 400 pages.
Get your copy here: Garden Plants for Honey Bees

Attracting Native Pollinators

The Xerces Society guide to protecting North America's bees and butterflies.

Valhalla Long Hive

A Song of the Bees

Why Honey Bee is Two Words

Regardless of dictionaries, we have in entomology a rule for insect common names that can be followed. It says: If the insect is what the name implies, write the two words separately; otherwise run them together. Thus we have such names as house fly, blow fly, and robber fly contrasted with dragonfly, caddicefly, and butterfly, because the latter are not flies, just as an aphislion is not a lion and a silverfish is not a fish. The honey bee is an insect and is preeminently a bee; “honeybee” is equivalent to “Johnsmith.”--From Anatomy of the Honey Bee by Robert E. Snodgrass

Not one native bee is a state insect. The closest relative of a North American native bee to make the list is the Tarantula Hawk Wasp, the state insect of New Mexico.

Queen Colors

Mark your queens with the color of the year so you can tell how old they are:

Years ending in 0 or 5 are blue.

Years ending in 1 or 6 are white.

Years ending in 2 or 7 are yellow.

Years ending in 3 or 8 are red.

Years ending in 4 or 9 are green.

Or starting with 1: Will You Raise Good Bees?

Bee Wise

Go to the bee,
thou poet:
consider her ways
and be wise.
--George Bernard Shaw

Mission Statement

Honey Bee Suite is dedicated to honey bees, beekeeping, wild bees, other pollinators, and pollination ecology. It is designed to be informative and fun, but also to remind readers that pollinators throughout the world are endangered. Although they may seem small and insignificant, pollinators are vital to anyone who eats.